Summary
Published in Advanced Science (2021), this peer-reviewed study used 3D Petri Dish® micro-molds to form scaffold-free 3D microtissues. Full citation: Jiang, Shengjie, et al. The Dynamic Counterbalance of RAC1‐YAP/OB‐Cadherin Coordinates Tissue Spreading with Stem Cell Fate Patterning
The Dynamic Counterbalance of RAC1‐YAP/OB‐Cadherin Coordinates Tissue Spreading with Stem Cell Fate Patterning
Research Overview
Tissue spreading is a key morphogenetic feature of embryonic development and regenerative medicine, yet how molecular signaling coordinates spreading dynamics with cell fate commitment in a multicellular tissue has been poorly understood. This study mapped the spatiotemporal evolution of individual stem cells within spheroids as they spread collectively.
Time-lapse tracking of cell migratory trajectories combined with in situ biomechanical measurements revealed heterogeneous spreading: cells at the periphery were faster, stiffer, and more directional than those at the spheroid center. The authors show that a dynamic counterbalance between RAC1-YAP signaling and OB-cadherin coordinates these heterogeneous spreading dynamics with distinct patterns of cell fate.
Key Discoveries
- Peripheral cells in spreading stem cell spheroids were faster, stiffer, and more directional than central cells
- RAC1-YAP versus OB-cadherin balance coordinates spreading dynamics with cell fate patterning
- Combined time-lapse trajectory analysis with in situ cellular biomechanics and single-cell sequencing
